PIP-5048MK inverter

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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by TitchRSA »

@coulomb wrote:
Why is customer service so hard for so many Chinese (including Taiwanese) companies?
Yes indeed!

I have 12+ 4048MS out there. One system is 12kW and another 24kW. The freezing is a massive nuisance as it transfers the entire load to the batteries during the freeze - this is some 180A to 240A - not funny when you have 6 of these inverters on a single 3-phase estate.

Thank goodness I have a 600Ah battery bank on this system.

But that's not the point - is it? I have sent MPP charts, details, times, circumstances and well - they just haven't replied. These inverters will destroy my reputation
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

suorama wrote: Wed, 12 Jun 2019, 03:03 My inverters was with following specs:
U1 71 50
U2 01 12
U3 00 21
U4 00 00
You must have had PV off, or it was at night, for U4 to be 00.00.
After MCU update
U1 71 50
U2 02 00
U3 88 88
U4 01 10

After FW update
U1 71 80
U2 02 00
U3 00 21 (exept one left to 88 88)
That's back to what it was. It seems that 88.88 is the new display / Bluetooth firmware.
[ Edit: sigh. It seems that 88.88 is an invalid version number; I failed to notice that the U2 version changed from 01.12 to 02.00. Thanks Weber. ]
U4 01 10

So if you look that earlier post WatchPower screen shot, you can notice U1 is main CPU and U4 is secondary CPU.
My understanding is:
U1 is the firmware for the main DSP, as always
U2 is the firmware for the removable display
U3 is the firmware for some sort of co-processor or slave, which may handle Bluetooth to phones. That didn't seem to get changed with this pair of update files.
U4 is the firmware for the Solar Charge Controller. WatchPower is still calling that the "secondary" firmware, from back when there were only two.

[ Edit: Thanks to Weber, I have swapped the descriptions for U2 and U3 from what I originally had above. ]
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
5650 W solar, 2xPIP-4048MS inverters, 16 kWh battery.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

suorama wrote: Wed, 12 Jun 2019, 02:32 [edit] I remove links because of (and if I read right, there is at least two hardware versions. I do not know what version mine is. My inverters have label with 11/2018.
...
[/edit]
My guess is that your machine, from November 2018, is one of the oldest [ edit: actually, the first seem to be from August 2018], and this seems to be the very latest firmware (the latest we've heard of before this is 71.70). So I'd guess it would be safe to try.

I can probably dig out the URL from my browser history, if any users are desperate to try out this new firmware, and have a similarly aged machine. PM me with a photo of your machine's barcode sticker if interested.
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
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Patching PIP-4048/5048 inverter-chargers.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

Ok =)

Ofcourse I have also those files, so PM me also could work...
=)
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

suorama wrote: Wed, 12 Jun 2019, 02:32
After update, I can read all inverters through one.
@Suorama,
can you give a few details on how you updated?
  • Did you use the serial port or the USB port?
  • Did you have to press any buttons to get the inverter into update mode?
  • Was there anything else tricky?
Other users are getting comms errors attempting the update.
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
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Patching PIP-4048/5048 inverter-chargers.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

No, there wasn't any tricky.

I must use serial. I do not have real serial port with my computer, so I use USB to serial adapter. That adapter is good one and works like real serial port.
That why I must use serial was, because that update program, what came with 7z pac, works only with serial.
When I update MCU I just start program "Remote Panel_Reflashtool.exe" in the computer and in the program I first select right serial port and then I push "Update MCU" to start update. Then that panel go to black and it took ~9min to erase and write per inverter (or maybe that was 6min).
When I update FW I just start program "AxpertKINGReflash.exe" in the computer and in program I first select right serial port and then I push "Update" button to start update. Then whole system "goes down" aka stop feeding my home and not charge or take any power from anywhere. Then panel shows to me:
UPDATE
YES?
I'm not sure if I must push the button next to YES word, so I push it.
Anyways, there wasn't any problems. That phase took also appr. 10 min per inverter.

I do all MCU updates first and then FW updates. (I have three inverters and 3phase system)

edit:
And ofcourse, first of all, I un(7)zip both packets to they own folders and start programs from those folders. With MCU I left all other setting as is (Baudrate 19200), only Serial was that what I choose.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

7-Zip is a free program for zipping and unzipping archives; it is free to download. I have it installed, so I don't know if Windows knows what to do with a .7z file if it's not installed. It is known that WinRAR won't extract these files properly. WinZip will do it, but the free version expires in 30 days. (Thanks, Jaco.)

Those needing more details, like which cables and USB to serial adapters to use, may find the PIP-5048MS firmware upload instructions helpful, but of course they won't apply perfectly to the PIP-5048MK.
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
5650 W solar, 2xPIP-4048MS inverters, 16 kWh battery.
Patching PIP-4048/5048 inverter-chargers.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by snoopysniper »

DCS-PV wrote: Tue, 11 Jun 2019, 03:46 Jaco,

Any luck with the 71.70 firmware?
Sadly no

Im only 71.70 and experienced a pv freeze today.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

I'm not sure what you guys mean with that PV freeze. What I noticed, my system seems to drop down PV when major change happen. Example if my load exeed my PV power and inverter change its working method to utility. But if there is example 1kW solar energy and load bite 5kW and my weak battery give only few minutes that missing 4kW then inverter change to utility. I can see then that PV power goes down, but there is still informed that 112V of panel voltage and after second that 4kW power change to 3kW and after few seconds I can see when PV power start rise back ro 1000W.
But PV power rise momentarily higher than that 1000W. I think that why I can see sometimes over two times higher power from my PV than it really is.
I can also see reasonable voltage at mornings and evenings from PV but system inform 0W from PV (4048MS shows usually ~160W those moments with same panels). Same time I can see how load is ~100W and battery is not drained but charge sone times a bit.
So, next complain what I do to the MPPSolar support might be that behavior.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by affer »

anyone know of a protocol manual? i would like to see if i can read out the daily, monthly and yearly production/usage.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by weber »

affer wrote: Tue, 09 Jul 2019, 03:21 anyone know of a protocol manual? i would like to see if i can read out the daily, monthly and yearly production/usage.
Please ask MPP Solar for the PIP-5048MK Communications Protocol Manual, then post it here for the benefit of all. They had no problem with supplying it for the PIP-4048MS.
One of the fathers of MeXy the electric MX-5, along with Coulomb and Newton (Jeff Owen).
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by weber »

affer wrote: Tue, 09 Jul 2019, 03:21 anyone know of a protocol manual? i would like to see if i can read out the daily, monthly and yearly production/usage.
With help from Coulomb, it looks like the command could be "QLD" which might stand for Query Logged Data. It returns 10 numbers. I'm guessing the last 8 might be:

daily PV kWh
daily Load kWh
monthly PV kWh
monthly Load kWh
yearly PV MWh
yearly Load MWh
total PV MWh
total Load MWh

You will be able to tell if they are, by comparing with the numbers on the LCD.

[Edit: Sorry. QLD is not what you want. According to the user manual page 22, logged data is different from PV and load energy. And I'm guessing QLD might need to be followed by a 4 digit number between 0000 and 1439, the sample number.]

It looks like "QT" might be Query Time (and date).
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

I've just noticed that @suorama is running SCC firmware version 04.10, and doesn't seem to suffer the dips or freezes. Are all you others with these problems running SCC version 04.12 by any chance? [ Edit: Duh! It's 01.10. Sigh. ]
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
5650 W solar, 2xPIP-4048MS inverters, 16 kWh battery.
Patching PIP-4048/5048 inverter-chargers.
If you appreciate my work, you can buy me a coffee.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by affer »

coulomb wrote: Tue, 09 Jul 2019, 16:24 I've just noticed that @suorama is running SCC firmware version 04.10, and doesn't seem to suffer the dips or freezes. Are all you others with these problems running SCC version 04.12 by any chance?
My version - which i have recorded two major freeze on, is running 01.10 on U4.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by coulomb »

affer wrote: Tue, 09 Jul 2019, 22:51 My version - which i have recorded two major freeze on, is running 01.10 on U4.
Duh! His was 01.10, not 04.10. Sigh. Same as yours. So it can't be the SCC firmware version then.
MG ZS EV 2021 April 2021. Nissan Leaf 2012 with new battery May 2019.
5650 W solar, 2xPIP-4048MS inverters, 16 kWh battery.
Patching PIP-4048/5048 inverter-chargers.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by affer »

Did anyone have succes using an android device and bluetooth with watchpower app.

my samsung galaxy tab 3 cant find any bluetooth devices, do i have to activate bluetooth on the 5048mk ? i can see the bluetooth icon in the display.

thsnks
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

affer wrote: Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 00:49 Did anyone have succes using an android device and bluetooth with watchpower app.

my samsung galaxy tab 3 cant find any bluetooth devices, do i have to activate bluetooth on the 5048mk ? i can see the bluetooth icon in the display.

thsnks
Yes, my galaxy s7 works "fine". Well, I need to be about close as 2m and it's still disconnect now and then.
But yes, I can use BT with my inverters. And I think BT is on by default. I do not need activate it before using.
Walls and other thing between android and PIP, cause lots of signal loss...
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by weber »

suorama wrote: Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 03:38 Yes, my galaxy s7 works "fine". Well, I need to be about close as 2m and it's still disconnect now and then.
But yes, I can use BT with my inverters. And I think BT is on by default. I do not need activate it before using.
Walls and other thing between android and PIP, cause lots of signal loss...
Do you have a cable that would let you separate the removable display and the PIP by a few metres, so you could tell us if the bluetooth device is in the removable display or the PIP?
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

weber wrote: Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 06:45 Do you have a cable that would let you separate the removable display and the PIP by a few metres, so you could tell us if the bluetooth device is in the removable display or the PIP?
Good point. I will test that later and tell what happens.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by XtractorFan »

affer wrote: Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 00:49 Did anyone have succes using an android device and bluetooth with watchpower app.

my samsung galaxy tab 3 cant find any bluetooth devices, do i have to activate bluetooth on the 5048mk ? i can see the bluetooth icon in the display.

thsnks
It works on my Galaxy Tab S2 and my Lenovo P2 mobile phone - it should appear in the device settings>connections> tap on Bluetooth and scan.
If it doesn't find it you aren't missing much - just a dumbed down WatchPower app, not much use really - same as the PIP-5048MK and the useless MPP Solar support....
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by affer »

Wierd, i have borrowed a galaxy 3 running android 4.4.1 i think it was, it can see my television, but my MK it is not showing when searching bluetooth.

i will se if i can try with another android device. (not showing on my ios device either)
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by suorama »

My investigations results from beginning to today... (not much)

First, parallel communication between inverters is corrected. Also parallel communication thru one inverter to anothers is corrected.

Second, my ICC program seems to read all inverters data but that data is not right by now. What I must remember, I use Windows version and there is not develop to this version by now.
Ok, example this morning. ICC shows to me 162W from PV nothing from UTILITY. Battery charged by ~180W and with my sandwich grill, load is ~800W. Hmm. something is not right now. How 162W is enough to 800W load and 180W charge. It cannot. I check with WatchPower BT and found that biggest panel array give about 600-700W and others about 250-300W.

So, maybe some values is right but definitely PV value is wrong. There is usually something like 54W to all inverters like that morning, all inverters show 54W then it is 162. Some reason, that value change and follow quite reasonable days production. But when I double my panels, day production stays same. Yesterday it make "little" compensation because it tells my day production was over 50kWh...

(But when utility start push power to system, then values is really close. And I mean if utility push 650W to system and PV push 550W then battery might take 200W and load is 1000W.)

What I try to say, maybe some of our (mean my) problems is that there is different way or command to read PV production than earlier. Maybe that causes the pv dips. I'm not sure what mean that pv freeze but I do not need boot my system any time because of malfunction, only for update or other my own reasons (reorganize cables etc.). When that kind malfunction happens middle of the day, what battery monitor say? And that question purpose is, if there is still production it should be seen with battery monitor. Of course if system drain battery bank fast, then there is not production...

I go today to shop and buy Rasberry PI computer. ICC newest version is for that base. So, maybe I know better later. I also ask from MPP Solar if they could send me that serial command manual to PIP-5048MK. Maybe I close my good relationships to them cos I share public that firmware early... But that is revealed later.
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by XtractorFan »

Best of luck with MPP Solar support - I've been trying for a month to get some sense out of them.
My AGM batteries will only get a full (Bulk+Float) charge if I set it to ECO mode (button or WatchPower) other wise it stops charging after a short time.
Now it switches back to re-charge at night when the Vbat has dropped to below 50v - BMV shows SOC to be >70%
The SCC has very 'loose' control - if I have a sunny day and clouds appear/dis-appear the Vbat peaks (BMV recorded one max at 60.1v!) and I've only 720W from my panels.
I would hate to see what actually happens if someone has a few KW of panels attached.
Ho hum....
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by XtractorFan »

XtractorFan wrote: Fri, 12 Jul 2019, 03:49
affer wrote: Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 00:49 Did anyone have succes using an android device and bluetooth with watchpower app.

my samsung galaxy tab 3 cant find any bluetooth devices, do i have to activate bluetooth on the 5048mk ? i can see the bluetooth icon in the display.

thsnks
It works on my Galaxy Tab S2 and my Lenovo P2 mobile phone - it should appear in the device settings>connections> tap on Bluetooth and scan.
If it doesn't find it you aren't missing much - just a dumbed down WatchPower app, not much use really - same as the PIP-5048MK and the useless MPP Solar support....
Well, this morning my PIP decided it didn't 'do' BlueTooth - no connection, nothing.
My BMV-712 still connects via BT ok, so must be the PIP - maybe do a poweroff/reset today, if I can be bothered.
These inverters really are a pile of .....
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Re: PIP-5048MK inverter

Post by affer »

i got my bluetooth working yesterday - well it was with an other device.

i will start logging for the freeze and dip occurence.

and for the record my pip have been working off the grid now for a month with the load i am putting on it, so i am quite satisfied, except the two freezes i have seen. i am in contact with solar about this, and they would like to see a log of when it happens.

i have 600Mb left on the android device, and i am leaving for the northern atlantic for 4 weeks, exciting to see if it is gonna be a stable four weeks recording :-D
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